


The Prince and the Hamster

by wearenotamused



Category: British Royalty RPF
Genre: Gen, Marvin - Freeform, Marvin the hamster - Freeform, Prince George of Cambridge - Freeform, royal hamster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 15:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13504167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wearenotamused/pseuds/wearenotamused
Summary: Prince George thought he knew everything about the hamster he raised. He also thought he knew everything about the world--about his world. What he learns about Marvin and the world he thought he knew is beyond his wildest imaginings.





	1. The Voice

“Bedtime, George.”  
The Duchess of Cambridge turned down his sheets.  
Since taking a bath and suiting up in his monogrammed bathrobe, Prince George had been staring at Marvin the hamster, who was staring back from inside his cage (being exhausted after a day of running the wheel).  
“George,” repeated Kate, a warning tone in her voice.  
“No,” he said defiantly.  
“No?” Kate was more astonished than angry at his defiance.  
“I’m not tired, Mummy. Besides, Marvin and I are having a staring contest and if I go to bed now he’ll win.”  
“Let him win, Georgie,” said the Duke of Cambridge, coming into the room. “You can do a rematch tomorrow. Come on, do as your mother said. It’s bedtime.”

George reluctantly peeled his eyes away from the hamster and obeyed his parents. With his parents gone, the lights off, and George lay awake in his bed. He was troubled about Marvin. Something wasn’t right. When he had been staring at the hamster, he’d felt something. OR rather sensed something…. Well, off about the rodent. Marvin seemed less rodent like and more…. Well, human. 

“What are you thinking about?”

Huh? George sat bolt upright and looked, into the darkness, in the direction of the voice. Someone was in his room. How was it possible? 

“Speak, boy.”

“Who are you?” George asked, trying to be brave and not panic because there was an unknown person in his dark bedroom. 

“Who am I? That’s a silly question.”

“Why? I don’t know you and you are in my room. How did you get past the guards?”

“I live here. What guards? We have guards.”

“Yes, my great-grandmother’s army. I have my own bodyguard too. He sleeps in the next room, between me and my sister. I have a panic button--”

“I know, Georgie. You have a panic button on your wrist.”

“Who are you?”

“Turn on the lights.”  
George walked over to the light switch by the door. His eyes by now adjusted to the darkness, and of course knowing his own room by instinct, he walked over to the door, stepped onto his Lego chair, and flicked on the light. He turned to face his empty room. There was no one there. No one but Marvin, that is. 

“Are you under my bed?” George stared at his bed, afraid to approach it and have his ankles grabbed by a stranger. He just stood like a rock on his Lego chair. 

“Do I have to spell it out for you, kid? I thought you were intelligent.”

“I am intelligent,” George said, offended that an empty room and invisible boy would dare to insult him. He was, after all, a Prince of the United Kingdom. 

“Let’s think, George. Are you ever alone in here?”

“Sometimes I am.”

“Wrong answer.”

George was by now walking around his room, looking under all of his furniture. When he came to the hamster, on one of his Lego tables, he found the hamster wide awake and staring at him with wide eyes and… a grin? 

“Hi, George,” said the invisible voice. George shook his head in disbelief. He could have sworn that Marvin was the one speaking: his lips had moved at the same time as the voice speaking. 

“No,” the little prince said out loud. “Hamsters don’t speak. It can’t be.”


	2. Hurt Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A royal baby is born and a hamster is lost!

Over the next few months George had little interaction with the hamster. Murray the footman would come in to clean the cage. George liked to follow Murray around and watch the servant perform each task in the ritual. Sometimes he even helped, though he never did any of the gross stuff like wiping the cage with a vinegar-soaked rag. The first time George witnessed this being done, he wrinkled his nose in response to the smell. “Murray, what is that?” he had asked on that occasion...to which Murray replied: “It’s vinegar, Master George.”

“That stuff Aunt Pippa puts on her salad instead of something yummy like Jalapeno Ranch?”

“Exactly,” said Murray with a laugh. “Vinegar also has antimicrobial uses.”

George still didn’t understand everything Murray had said about anti-micro-bowls or whatever. He just quickly learned to keep his distance during that part of the cleaning routine. Marvin would happily sit on George’s shoulder while the cage was sanitized and all of the hamster furniture and bedding restored. Ever since learning of Marvin’s bizarre human ability (speaking) George had been increasingly self-conscious around the rodent. There were times when he swore the hamster was smirking at him. Once, while dressing for school, he noticed Marvin watching him--simultaneously gnawing on the bars of the cage. 

“What?” George had snapped.

“Nothing,” replied the hamster sadly.

George was satisfied, but the hamster soon spoke up again. “Georgie, are you angry with me?”

George tried to hide his guilt. “No. Why do you say that?”

“Well, let’s see… you never play anymore. When was the last time we had a staring contest?”

George shrugged. “I’ve been busy. You have no idea what pressure I’m under to get good grades so that I can go to a good prep school.”

“Oh please. You’re a prince. You can attend any prep school you like.”

“Not so,” insisted George, stepping over toward the cage and looking seriously at Marvin. “Maybe it was like that when my dad was my age, but the independent school system has been increasingly competitive. Moreover, a lot of the schools might think I’m more trouble than I’m worth, what with the security concerns and whatnot!” 

Nanny Maria and Charlotte walked in just at that moment. “Who are you talking to, George?” Charlotte asked. 

After that, George tried harder to ignore Marvin’s attempts to ignite conversation. Marvin became increasingly bored and kept gnawing at the bars. The days went by. Uncle Harry’s wedding date drew nearer. George had to do fittings for pageboy suits and Charlotte had to be fitted for junior bridesmaid dresses. Their mother gave birth to a baby brother. The same day that George and Charlotte went to the hospital to meet Louie, Marvin the hamster went missing. It happened to be a cleaning day and Murray, in his excitement over the new royal baby, had somehow forgotten to secure the door of Marvin’s spare cage--the one he would wait in while the ‘real’ cage was being cleaned. 

Prince William, George, and Charlotte returned to the palace to find Murray the footman in hysterics. Nanny Maria kicked herself into high gear, checking under and behind all the nursery furniture, bathroom cabinets, and even the teapots. No one felt worse than George. He moped around the palace. Charlotte was distraught too. 

“Maybe he wanted to go meet Louie so bad, he went to the hospital,” she said hopefully. 

George shook his head. “He can’t walk that far without being stepped on, and hamsters can’t drive,” he said. 

“Maybe he got an uber!”

“No, Charlotte. Even if he did manage to order an uber, he can’t jump very high.”

Charlotte suddenly screamed. 

William came running into the room. “Charlotte, sweetie, what’s the matter?”

Charlotte giggled and squirmed. “It tickles!”

William and George exchanged confused glances. But the confusion was shortcoming, for Charlotte soon gasped and exclaimed, “It’s Marvin!” 

Marvin had scrambled up Charlotte’s leg and was now nuzzling her chin, making her laugh.


End file.
